fledgling

noun

fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
Synonyms of fledglingnext
often attributive
1
: a young bird just fledged (see fledge sense 1)
a bird feeding her fledglings
2
: an immature or inexperienced person
fledgling medical students
3
: one that is new
a fledgling company

Examples of fledgling in a Sentence

a female bird feeding her fledglings at hockey he's still a fledgling and needs to work on his basic skating skills
Recent Examples on the Web
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The initiative is co-chaired by College of Creative Arts founder DeAnna Pusai and CORE Companies founder David Neale, Ryan’s grandfather, who was inspired to provide seed funding for the fledgling program. Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 23 May 2026 Going forward, riders will witness the fledgling New Republic enlisting the help of Mando and Grogu to hunt down remnants of the New Order, seeking out potential targets as bounties. Tiffany Chang, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026 Similar summaries of the show in the magazine Soap Opera Digest provoked outrage within the fledgling magazine’s readership. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 Rather than leave existing clients in the lurch, Lee allowed IDW to essentially inherit those accounts, allowing the fledgling business to become profitable within its first year of operation. Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fledgling

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fledgling was in 1830

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Cite this Entry

“Fledgling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fledgling. Accessed 28 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

fledgling

noun
fledg·​ling ˈflej-liŋ How to pronounce fledgling (audio)
1
: a young bird just fledged
2
: an immature or inexperienced person

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